November 2016, Painting of the Month

Welcome!

"A Box For Wishes"

8x8 oil on panel

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This is a small still life painting, a fantasy of light and color. I love light and the way it shapes and reveals the world around us. Light can turn the most mundane objects into interesting, beautiful works of art, just by what it reveals. Light can seem to have a life of its own. It can blind us, warm us, beckon us, and comfort us. The light of day welcomes us each morning. The light of the stars guide us.

Trying to capture light in my paintings has been an ongoing goal of mine. Is it cool or warm light. Morning, afternoon, or evening light. How does the light affect the atmosphere and the color of objects. The absence of light drains the life from color, making everything more mysterious. Someone once said if you make everything else in your painting dark and have one spot of brilliant light on your subject the painting will be a success. Caravaggio is just one of the Masters who used light to enhance the dynamic impact of his paintings. There are many others. 

As always, thanks for viewing my art blog. You comments are always appreciated. This month's painting is entitled, "A Box for Wishes".

"Lavender & Lace"

3x3 oil on Linen Panel

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It's amazing the small wonders that our God has created to delight us. All we have to do is take the time to stop and look. The colors in nature never cease to amaze. The pallet that was used to create these small miracles is full of rich, bold color and yet the simple muted tones that bind it all together are beautiful in their subtle simplicity. The butterfly is so beautiful and delicate, rich in patina and pattern. It lives such a short life, lending its beauty to its surroundings as it wings through the landscape. Maybe God uses these small creatures to get our attention. The butterfly doesn't start out beautiful, and neither do we. The butterfly gives us hope that we too can give birth to  the beautiful creature that lives inside and experience the joy and freedom of this life.

Painting of the Month - June 2013

Diamonds & Rust

 "Diamonds & Rust"

5x7 oil on panel

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I love hollyhocks. They are one of my favorite flowers. I also love Taos, New Mexico, and that is where I took the photograph that this painting originated from. 

There is something about the enchanted circle area that draws me back again and again. The light in that part of the world is just what the artist ordered. While I'm at it I must give a shout out to Outback Pizza and Michael's Kitchen. Great food and wonderful people.

This painting doesn't do justice to the real beauty and color of the flowers. But, if I managed to capture just a little of the magic they evoke, the effort was worthwhile. Until next month………...  

September

"Lilies"

6x8 oil on panel

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It's September, fall is on the way and summer will soon be a distant memory. Gone will be the summer flowers, asleep in their flower beds for another season.

One of those old friends I will miss the most are the day lilies that grace my landscape. Their gentle beauty and colorful faces and more than welcome each year. I look forward every spring as I clean away the dead leaves to the small green sprouts that signal their arrival. Isn't it wonderful that we always have something to look forward to. Darkness may come, old friends may die, but there is always the dawn, new birth and the loving grace of God our father to usher us into the new day.

Until next month..........................JB

June,July and August Post

"Waiting...till the cows

come home"

12x16 oil on canvas

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It's summertime, and the living is hectic! With the grandkids out of school, gardening, company and traveling, it hasn't left much time for painting. But in hindsight, I wouldn't trade one moment with the kids because before I know it they will be grown, working, out on their own.

It has been hot, but this is summer in Texas. This little painting depicts a yellow lab waiting by a red barn. The warm colors in the painting remind me of summertime. This is just another day on the farm and man's best friend is standing watch, waiting for the farmer and the cows to come home. No matter how you spend your time this summer, I hope you enjoy the season. Eat some watermelon, swim, get a tan, and spend time with someone you love because, summer will soon be gone. Until next month........JB

May 2009

"Meadow Lark"

5x7 oil on panel

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It's summer and my favorite time of day is the morning. I love to get up early in the morning before the heat of the day sets in and work in my flowers, have a cup of coffee on the back patio and read the paper. It is such a peaceful time of day for me, before the phone starts ringing and the reality of the day takes over.

A first for me this May was a plein air paint out. This entails dragging all of your painting paraphernalia into the field, setting up shop and painting what you see as you see it. All I can really say is that I survived. I even enjoyed the first few hours when it was still cool and the bugs had yet to locate my spot.

Plein air painters are a hardy lot. They must be willing to fight the elements, remember or improvise all of their supplies, and rig up a way to get all of their wet paintings home with no smears. They have to be fast on their feet to capture what they see at the moment before the light and shadow patterns change. They have to be able to simplify and zero in on their subject and make all of that green stuff look interesting.

I thought it would be easy. I ran not walked back to my studio, my music, my cup of hot tea, air conditioning, and other creature comforts. All I can say is, "been there, done that", and take my hat off to all those who persevere in the field. So, here is possibly my one and only plein air painting. Enjoy!!!! Until next month......................................JB

April 2009

"Out to Pasture"

10x12 oil on linen panel

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I have finally completed the challenge. I have painted my first cow painting! This was a challenge from my art friend who keeps me working and honest. She loves cows and always wants to paint them. I on the other hand can think of a number of other things I would rather paint!

Colorado inspires me at every turn. Everything in that state is a Kodak moment for me. I love the mountains and vow to live there some day, even if it has to be in my next life, ha! The photograph that inspired this painting was captured on a cool autumn day. The colors in the mountains always seem more vivid to me and the air is so pure and clean. I don't even mind the bugs and the wind as just being out of doors is a joy.

I hope that this painitng will inspire you to find a favorite place if you don't already have one. I am always looking for an excuse to escape to the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. You can still find unsoiled territory to explore and leave the hustle and bustle of everyday behind for a little while.

Until next month.....................................................JB

March Entry

"Morning's Glory"

7x6 watercolor on paper

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I am ready for spring. About this time of year I start to get antsy. I want to be out in the flower garden, feel the warm sun on my back and dig in the dirt. The four seasons are just right for me. About the time I get sick and tired of one, change comes and it is usually welcome.

This is a small watercolor painting of Morning Glories. I love flowers and Morning Glories are one of my favorites. I think it is neat how they open up in the cool of the morning and then have sense enough to get in out of the heat of the day. Nature is like that though. To bad we all can't learn from her. We could all do with a dose of common sense now and then. Mother Nature and Father Time. One gives wisdom, the other notes the passing of our days.

Now, spring is sprung, at least in my neck of the woods, and none to soon. So, get out and take a walk, smell the flowers, watch the trees awaken from the winter and say thank you to the almighty that even though change comes, some things will always stay the same.

Until next month......JB

February Post

"In Between"

4x4 oil on canvas

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A cactus growing in an unlikely place caught my eye and became the basis for this small painting. This is the first for the year in my painting of the month series. January escaped me. It came and went in such a hurry I didn't have time to catch my breath let alone make a blog entry. What's the line to that old song, "slow down, you move to fast"?. That's the way I feel about life at the moment!

Mother Nature uses red and green often on her palette, and purple is good in any landscape or floral painting. This painting was inspired by one of my photographs which are usually jumping off points for me. I push the color and the image to try to create something interesting. Sometime it works, sometimes it doesn't.

So, here's to a new year. May it bring peace and prosperity to all. Until next month.....JB

November

"Harvest Moon"

8x10 oil on canvas

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It's harvest time. A time of gathering. A time for being thankful. This small painting is entitled, Harvest Moon. It has a warm feeling like we experience when we gather with friends and family this time of year.

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving. And if you don't happen to celebrate the holiday, just pause and give thanks for all of the many blessings we have as a people and a country. Use the holidays as an excuse to perform random acts of kindness. You never know what impact you will have or the lives you might change. Until next month......JB

Fall

"October"

6x8 oil on canvas

on masonite

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It's Fall again. The mornings have that crisp edge. The days are shorter. The year is winding down. The pumpkins are everywhere.

This is my painting of the month entitled, "October". When I think of Fall, one of the first things I visualize is all of the pumpkins. As kids we couldn't wait to carve one, and then smash it on Halloween night as a trick, after we got the treat of course.

Everyone has a favorite season and Fall is mine. I've tried to capture that feeling in this small painting. Until next month....................JB

September 2008

"A Quiet Place"

9x12 oil on canvas

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"A quiet place." How often I wish I could escape to just such a place. When the daily grind gets to be too much, it is the quiet places such as this that offer rest for our weary souls.

An actual palce in northern Illinois, it is good to know that such places do exist. This is a small work on canvas. The colors attempt to imitate nature although her pallet still escapes me for the most part. Just being out there, away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday is a joy.

Make an effort to find your own quiet place. It may be as near as your own backyard. Give yourself permission to stay for awhile, slow down, reevaluate, let go, and feed your spirit with the joy, hope and peace of things that are yet to be.............Until next month, JB

August Post

"Letting Go"
11x14 oil on canvas

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painting on
Ebay
SOLD!

It's August, time for change, children returning to school, a time for letting go. Change is what its all about and letting go is hard. Unfamiliar territory can be daunting no matter what the situation. But in letting go we can experience real freedom. Growth occurs as we spread our wings and test our limits. Sometimes with our kids the testing is the tough part. Some tend to want to push the envelope a lot farther than others. I've found with my own children that these are the ones who will probably be the most successful in life if we can just keep them from falling out of the nest and breaking their little necks early on.

Lets face it. Life is a struggle on a good day. Change is inevidable. One of my grandchildren has decided that he dosen't want to growup because it dosen't look like any fun. I can identify with him. Sometimes its not much fun being grownup! It's a good thing we don't have a choice, or the world might be run by ten year olds....Huh. No, I won't go there.

Letting Go is the title of this painting. Letting go does not come naturally. It is a learned behavior. With freedom comes growth. Growth opens doors to greater understanding and compassion. Understanding and compassion open the door to great joy. Let go, it may be easier than you think if you just let go! Until next month......JB

It's Summer Time

"Emma & the Chickens"

5x5 oil on canvas on masonite

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It's summer time and I have had grandkids running out my ears, which is my excuse, lame as it is, for not posting in June! Summer weather is hot and outdoor chores are usually done early in the morning. This small painting is a reminder of simple times and places. "Emma & the Chickens" reminds me of summers spent on the farm. I was actually terrified of the chickens, being a city girl. They always tried to peck the buttons on my dresses. The old rooster was especially aggressive and much time was spent trying to figure out how to avoid him when gathering eggs. He eventually ended up as dinner after crossing swords with my aunt one to many times!

I sometimes wish my grandchildren could experience the joy of simple things. Kick the can would probably not hold a candle to X-Box 360 though! You can't go back. Just allow time this summer for making memories, not the kind you can buy, but the kind that take a little extra effort and imagination. Memories that will last a lifetime are often those that cost little or nothing monetarily.

Until next month.....JB

May Flowers

"No Vacancy"

11x14 oil on canvas

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This piece is about new beginnings. The end of spring and the beginning of summer. New life in new places. Building nests and fledglings spreading their wings in anticipation of that first flight.

I had the priviledge of watching my grandson graduate from high school last week. What a joy to see him complete 12 years of school successfully. To see one so young and full of life. It gives you faith that things are going to turn out alright. Isn't it amazing how the wheel of time keep on turning. The dreams of one generation really are the reality of the next.

It gives us pause to stop and think about what kind of reality we are dreaming up for the future. Because the buck dosen't stop here. It gets handed down to the next generation and they have to make it stretch a little farther than we did!

That's it! The painting of the month is entitled, "No Vacancy". We're heading to Mexico the first of June so hope to have some southwest flavor for you next month. Until then.......JB

April Showers!

"Serenade"

5x6 watercolor

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Remember that saying, April showers bring May flowers? That is what I thought about when I looked at this painting this morning. We need the rain for the crops, landscape, rivers and lakes. But, do we need the rain in our lives, not literally, but in the form of problems, crisis, illness. No one looks forward to that, but I believe that it is through the trial and tribulations that we grow in wisdom and strength. That old saying, what dosen't kill us makes us stronger is true. A funny thing also occurs in the midst of problems, we discover that we are not in control and we can't always fix it. If you have faith in God, you usually reach upward for comfort, and if you believe in miracles, you give up control and turn the problem over with faith that whatever the outcome it's gonna be alright.

So, maybe we do need the rain to be able to appreciate the sunshine when it reappears, not only literally, but spiritually as well. May God bless you always, rain or shine. Until next month....JB

What's New for March

"June's Fancy"

4x7 colored pencil
on paper

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Given the weather we've been having in Texas, it's hard to imagine it will ever be warm enough for the roses to bloom again. But, that's why we look forward to the changing seasons. Just when you're sick and tired of one, it's time for a change. Change is good for all of us. It makes us appreciate where we've been and what we've experienced, and it gives us a chance to start over and try and get it right this time around.

This is my painting of the month. A little change for me in that it is my first attempt at colored pencil. It sure makes you appreciate something more when you actually try it instead of just critiquing others attempts, and this could be said for a lot of other things as well. We are all good armchair quarterbacks. It takes getting up and diving in to appreciate the amount of work that goes into most things that are worth doing.

As always, your comments on the work are always appreciated. This month's painting is entitled, "June's Fancy".

A New Year!

"I'll Fly Away"

8x10 oil on
canvas

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It's a new year and along with my many other resolutions,
I hope to get this painting blog up and running again. I'm
starting with this small painting of a fairy on the back of an
eagle, flying off into another place and time.
Wouldn't it be great if you could just step into the
canvas and escape the rat race for awhile.

This painting is entitled, "I'll Fly Away". Imagine
the possibilities!!!

Painting of the Week

"Dutch Treat"

6x8 oil on panel

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My painting this week was inspired by a friend who gave me a bunch of tulips that allowed me to setup and photograph this still life. As flowers go, I really love tulips. I even like the stems and leaves. When they bloom in the spring, they make the landscape sing with color. There are not too many other flowers that say spring, just by looking at them. One of these days, I am going to make the long jaunt across the water to Holland and see these growing in mass.

The wooden shoes were picked up on one of my many trips to the local flea market. I always say I'm not going to buy anything, but manage to come home with something. That's like going to the ice cream store on the premise of taking something home to my husband. The old will power just isn't what it used to be. After all, one can never have too many still life objects or ice cream cones! Until next week......JB

Painting of the Week!

"Moonshine"
7x12 oil on canvas
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This little landscape was inspired by the Smokey Mountains and a trip along the Blueridge Parkway. I love that part of the country and am envious of all those who are privileged to live there. I try to make it to the Smokies once a year, preferably during the months of July or August as the heat is usually unbearable in Texas at that time.

I love the way the mist just comes out of nowhere and before you know it you can't see your hand in front of your face. It brings back memories of all of those scary movies you saw as a kid and you really are tempted to look over your shoulder, or did you hear footsteps, surely it was your imagination.

The locals are honest, tough people who are used to the hardships mountain life can bring. When you get back in the hills, there are few luxuries unless you count the hush of the forest broken only by birdsong or the rush of a mountain stream. I was once caught in a ravine taking pictures of a waterfall when a storm broke out. By the time we climbed out, the air was so heavy you could cut it with a knife and my lungs felt like they would explode.

So, if you get a chance to visit the Smokey Mountains stop by Ashville and Little Switzerland up on the Parkway. I promise you won't be disappointed! Until next week......JB